This week Teresa launched a campaign to save staffed ticket offices at Erith and Belvedere rail stations. Teresa has tabled a Commons motion calling on the Government to reject the recommendation in the McNulty Report on the rail industry that will see nearly 1000 ticket offices have their staff removed or reduced. The motion has already been supported by nearly 40 MPs across political party lines.

Both Belvedere and Erith stations (as well as nearby Slade Green) will have 100% of their ticket office staff cut if the McNulty recommendations get the go-ahead from the Transport Secretary Justine Greening. Teresa, together with passenger groups and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, is concerned that this will make local stations dangerous, unwelcoming and inaccessible places for commuters.

Teresa said:

“The Transport Secretary should reject any proposal that will mean rail stations at Belvedere and Erith will have no ticket office staff. Ticket office staff give advice and help people get the cheapest ticket for their journey, as well as assisting disabled people and helping in the event of an accident.

“Having nobody at the stations will make a lot of people feel unsafe. We’ve already seen crime rates at Erith station more than double this year and I’m worried this will get even worse if there are no staff at all. Passengers are entitled to safe, staffed rail stations. I’ll be visiting local stations over the next couple of weeks to ask people sign the petition against the ticket office cuts.”

The text of Teresa’s EDM 2312 ‘Proposals to reduce or remove staff at station ticket offices’ and its signatories can be viewed here.

People wishing to add their name to the local petition can email Teresa at teresa.pearce.mp@parliament.uk and sign the national petition by clicking here.